A variety of medical diagnostic and treatment procedures require that a patient's skull be fixed in an accurate and reproducible position. One example of such a treatment procedure is radiation therapy, which is used to deliver radiation to a target, such as a tumor. An important step in this therapy is treatment planning. To aid in this planning, stereotactic techniques have been developed, which employ accurate and reproducible positioning of the patient's skull during radiographic studies. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,924.
It is also important to immobilize the patient during treatment and radiographic examination in order to assure that radiation is delivered exactly where it is needed and that targets and surrounding normal structures are precisely located. A thermoplastic mask is often used to immobilize the patient's head and ensure reproducibility of the treatment.
According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided that is formed to fix a thermoplastic mask to a patient. The apparatus comprises a member formed to be positioned adjacent to a cranio facial bone of the patient, a fixation member coupled to the member, and a fastener plate. The fastener plate is formed to couple the mask to the fixation member so that the member is in a fixed position relative to the mask.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided that is formed to fix a thermoplastic mask to a patient. The apparatus comprises a mouthpiece member, a fixation member coupled to the mouthpiece member, the fixation member including a plate and at least one fastener extending away from the plate, and a fastener plate. The fastener plate is formed for attachment with the at least one fastener so that the mask is coupled between the plate and the fastener plate.
According to another embodiment of the present invention an assembly formed to immobilize a patient's skull during a medical procedure is provided. The assembly comprises a thermoplastic mask and a mouthpiece member coupled to the thermoplastic mask.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention an assembly formed to immobilize a patients skull during a medical procedure is provided. The assembly comprises a thermoplastic mask and an earplug member formed for extension into the auditory canal. The earplug member is coupled to the thermoplastic mask.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention an assembly formed to immobilize a patient's skull during a medical procedure is provided. The assembly comprises a thermoplastic mask and a nose block member formed to be positioned on a nasal bridge of the patient. The nose block member is coupled to the thermoplastic mask.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.